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One in 12 adults believe life will never get back to normal after Covid – ONS

Some 29% said they feel it will take more than a year, a survey found.

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Around one in 12 adults in Britain believe life will never get back to normal following the coronavirus pandemic, figures suggest.

Eight percent of adults feel this way, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said – the highest proportion for eight months, with the same proportion last believing this in mid-October.

Some 29% said they think it will take more than a year for life to return to normal, while 21% said they believe it will take up to six months.

And 22% said they are not sure.

The ONS analysed responses from 4,138 individuals surveyed between June 16 and 20 as part of its Opinions and Lifestyle Survey.

It also found that happiness levels, having gradually risen to above pre-pandemic levels in early June, have slightly decreased in recent weeks, while anxiety levels have risen slightly.

Personal wellbeing measures of life satisfaction and feeling that things done in life are worthwhile have remained relatively stable, the ONS said.

It also found that “hybrid” working appears to be on the increase, with one in seven (15%) working adults working from home as well as travelling to work over the past week.

This is up from 10% in mid-February.

Over the same period, the proportion of working adults travelling to work exclusively has risen from 34% to 49%, while the proportion solely working from home has fallen from 37% to 22%.

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